The present invention relates to the production of a fibrous web, such as a paper web, advantageously a high-quality SC paper web, by means of an on-line or off-line multi-nip calender.
In this description and definitions of the invention                a web refers to a fibrous web, advantageously a paper web, most advantageously an SC paper web, which is formed of mechanical pulp and/or chemical pulp, advantageously having a basis weight in a range of 30 to 80 g/m2 and a filler content in a range of 15 to 40 percent;        a multi-nip calender refers to an on-line or off-line calender comprising at least two separate roll stacks, which are apart from one another in a vertical or horizontal direction with respect to the horizontal machine plane and placed in a vertical, horizontal and/or oblique position with respect to the machine plane, said roll stacks comprising each at least three rolls which form at least two nips in nip contacts loaded against each other; and        a nip refers to a pressing zone of the web which two thermo rolls loaded against each other, i.e. a hard press roll and a soft-covered polymer roll, i.e. a backing roll, form between themselves, in which pressing zone the web is deformed as a result of moisture, heat and compression.        
In the papermaking art, grades of ever higher quality are required today. As the running speeds required from paper machines are continuously increasing, the direction in calendering technology is more and more towards on-line solutions. When the aim is to make higher-quality printing paper grades, such as, for example, SC paper grades, a substantial problem is that the grade can be produced in practice only by using, after drying a multi-layer web, rewinding and off-line calendering, several of which, usually two or three, are used side by side to meet production capacity.
It is generally stated that calendering is a method by means of which the properties, in particular the thickness profile, smoothness, gloss and surface porosity of a web-like material are sought to be improved. In calendering the web is passed into a nip which is formed between rolls pressed against each other and in which the web is deformed by the action of temperature, moisture and nip pressure, whereby the physical properties of the web can be affected by controlling the above-mentioned parameters and the time of action. The good physical properties attained by calendering lead to better print quality, thereby bringing a competitive advantage to the manufacturer of paper. A problem in conventional calendering, in which the web is moisturized only before a calender, is the unnecessarily heavy penetration of moisture into the web. To diminish this problem, a calender with two roll stacks is known from FI patent application 992086, in which calender intermediate moisturizing of the web has been arranged between the roll stacks in an attempt to regulate the penetration of moisture into a fibrous web and thereby control the moisture gradient of the web.